Technology is all pervasive in modern society transforming people’s
everyday lives and work environments. Societal change is coinciding with
the ever increasing availability of small, light, and affordable tools
for communication and consumption, most notably the mobile phone.
Dominant views of the relationship between society and technology among
policymakers and business leaders, however, are frequently
production-focussed and pay limited attention to end-users and wider
issues of consumption. This theoretical paper argues for a practice
theory approach to allow for the greater integration of social factors
into technology development and adoption processes, in particular that
of telework. An initial critical review of key sociological approaches
to society technology interactions will serve to highlight gaps in the
existing body of literature, the limitations of many of these
approaches, and help demonstrate the need for a practice approach that
incorporates aspects of structure, agency, and context. The paper
questions the role technologies are likely to play in promoting more
sustainable forms of (over)consumption and how these relate to people’s
everyday social practices. Drawing on qualitative data collected from
sixteen structured interviews as part of the EPA-funded ConsEnSus
Project, Consumption, Environment and Sustainability (www.consensus.ie),
key components and interactions that influence people’s practice with
regard to telework were identified. These were then used to develop an
appropriate framework for further analysis in an attempt to more clearly
define and understand the interconnectivity and conflicts between the
various elements that go to make up the practice of telework.